Vacuum-cleaner.



L. VAN NETTE.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8 1010.

ventor Attorneys Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses I LUTHER VAN NETTE, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

VACUUM-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted Sept, 26, 1911.

Application filed July 6, 1910. Serial No. 570,640.

Yb all whom it may concern.

. Be it known that I, LUTHER VAN News, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Vacuum-Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

cleaner of the present invention possesses marked advantages over such cleaners as require to be operated by electricity or which embody suction pumps or bellows which require to be actuated manually.

A still further aim of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner embodying traction operated suction means which will be simple in construction and in which the suction chambers'will eonstitute'the frame of the machine, the traction means of the machine being embodied in a single traction rim which actu'ates the suction creating devices in the suction chambers. By providing but a single traction rim and arranging or mounting it in the manner illustrated in the drawings and to be hereinafter de- .-cribed, the operator of the machine is able to work close to a wall or other like ohstruction and furthermore the machine is rendered less cumbersome.

It is a further. aim of the invention to provide, in connection .with the suction chambers and the single traction rim above men tioned, a receiving chamber which is supported from and is in communication with a vacuum chamber which is common to all of the suction chambers, the pipe establishing communication between the receiving chamber and the vacuum chamber constituting the means for supporting the said rereceiving chamber.

It is a further aim of the invention to pro vide, in a vacuum cleaner embodying a rigid dust conveying'tube, a connection between the tube and the suction nozzle of such character as to insure of proper contact of the suction nozzle with the surface bein cleaned, regardless of the position assumed by themachine as a whole or by the rigid dust conveying tube. In other words, the invention aims to provide a connection between the elemcnts mentioned, of such character that the suction nozzle will remain fiat upon the surface being cleaned whether or not the machine as a whole is in upright position.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the general construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section of a cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a view looking at the opposite side of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a slight modification of the invention. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section through the up )er end of the receivin tank.

n the drawings, and particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, the frame of the invention is illustrated as embodied in the suction chambers of the cleaner mechanism and these chambers are indicated by the numeral 5 and while they are here shown as three in number, they may be of greater or less number if desired. Thesechambers, in

this form of the invention. are in the nature of cylinders closed at their inner ends and open at their outer ends, they being aranged about a common center and radially thereahont. Before proceeding to a specific description of the cylinders it will be ob-' served at this point that the inner ends of all of the. cylinders constitute three walls of a vacuum chamber 6 which is thus located between the inner ends of all of the cylinders. In addition to the walls consisting of the inner ends or bottoms of the. cylinders 5, the said vacuunr chamber of course embodies two side walls indicated by the numeral 7. Each of the suction chambers embodied in the cylinders 5 has at its outer end an extension indicated by the numeral 8 and this extension carries at its outer end a roller 9 the function of which will be presently explained. Furthermore, there is mounted 11 and of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the pinion or at least as great as its greatest diameter. The traction means of the machine is embodied in an annulus or traction rim 12 formed in one side with. a groove 13 extending continuously therearound and formed upon its inner periphery with a toothed flange 1%. The rim is of such diameter that when properly assembled upon the frame of the machine consisting of the cylinders 5, the rollers 9 of the three cylinders, supposing this number to be employed, will seat in the groove 13 in the side of the rim 12 and the teeth of the several pinions 1O will mesh with the teeth of the flange 14, the peripheral portion of the disk 11 resting against that side of the flange 14 opposite the side at which the extension 8 is located. The engagement of the peripheral;

portion of the disk 11 with the flange 14 and the engagement of the rollers 9 in the groove 13, as well as the meshing of the pinion 10 with the flange teeth 14, results in the rim 12 being supported for rotation about the several cylinders 5 and their associated parts above described. It will be understood that as the rim 12 rotates in the manner stated, the pinion l'l-will be rotated.

A piston indicated by the numeral 15 is mounted to reciprocate in each cylinder 5 and there is pivoted to each piston 15 at the center thereof, one end of a'pitman 16 connected to the corresponding crank disk 11.

Each extension 8 is provided with a. bracket indicated by the numeral 17 and each piston 15 is provided with a guide stem 18 which is slidably fitted through the bracket 17 upon the corresponding extension 8, the piston being in this manner guided in its recipr0 catory movement in the cylinders. It will be observed that the inner end of each cylin-:

der 5 is formed with an opening indicated by the numeral 19 and a flap valve 20 is secured upon. the said end of each cylinder and normally seats in the corresponding opening 19 although it will be readily understood that the piston 15 in any of the three cylinders here shown is moving toward the open or outer end of the cylinder, the suction. created by this movement of the piston will serve to move'the valve 20 away from its seat and-exhaust to a greater or less extent its vacuum chamber (5. 'In a like manner, each piston 15 has secured upon it a flap valve 21 which normally closes an opening 22 formed through the said piston, the movements of the valve away from the piston being limited by an abutment 23 secured upon the guide stem 18; -It will thus be readily understood that when the piston is moving in the direction of the open end of the cylinder, the valve 21. will be closed and the valve2O will open and that when the piston is moving toward the closed end of the cylinder, the valve 20 will close and tons is accomplished through rotation of the crank disk and that these disks are in turn rotated by the traction. rim 12 and that such reciprocation of the pistons will result whether the machine is run backwardly or forwardly;

As heretofore stated, the cylinders 5 constitute the frame of the machine and to one of these cylinders are connected handle bars indicated by the numeral 2 1. In addition to the suction chambers, the machine embodies a receiving chamber which is indicated by the numeral In supporting the container25 upon the machine, a pipe 26 is secured at one rnd to the verticalwall of the said containe and opens thereinto. At its rear end, the pipe 26 is secured'through one side wall 7 of the vacuum chamber 6. Thus, communication isestablished between the receiving chamber 25 and the vacuum chamber 6 and as the pumps exhaust air from the vacuum chamber 6, it is exhausted also from the receiving chamber 25. The receiving chamber 25 is provided with a closure indicated by the numeral 27 and'this closure is formed upon its under side and adjacentits periphery with a depending flange indicated by the. numeral 28. A split ring 29 is adapt ed to be sprung into engagement with this flange 2S and when thus sprung is intended to supporta bag 30 of fine mesh, this bag being provided with a hem in which the ring 29 is slipped or otherwise held. The flange 28, when the cover is fitted upon the receiving chamber, bears upon a packing head indicated by the numeral 31 and the engagement between this gasket and the flange is an air tight one. In this manner, the bag 30 is r'emovably supported by the cover and after it becomes filled to a greater or less degree with dust and other. dirt accumulations, its ring may be sprung out of engagement with the flange and the bag then removed and emptied. A pipe indicated by the numeral is secured upon the inner face of the wall of the receivingchamber 25 and at its upper end communicates with the pipe 26, the lower end of the pipe 32 terminating iimnediately short of the bottom of the sai regeiving chamber, A short length of flexible hose 33 is attached at one end to a nipple 34: upon the top 27 of the receiving chamber and at its other end this hose connects to theupper end of a rigid tube 35 which is fitted through bracketsffid'upon the said chamber, the tube being hl'cr'in' raised or lowered adjustment by means of a set screw 37 threaded through one of the brackets and bearing against the said tube. The lower end portion of the tube is bent to ex-' tend forwardly.

lower A suction nozzle indicated numeral 38 is swiveled as at 39 to the forward end of the tube 5 so that it will at all times rest flat upon the surface over which the machine is being moved regardless of whether the machine as a whole is solely upright. As a consequence,b11t a single traction rim is needed and the operator need not be careful to hold the machine in upright position, strictly speaking. It will be understood, moreover, that by loosening the set screw 37, the tubes 35 may be raised or lowered and that its lower end by the may be also swung around at an angle if desired, this being done when it is necessary to have the suction nozzle of the machine pass over a surface in the angle between two walls.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings is identical with that illustrated in the first three figures of the drawings except that inthe latter instance the pistons and cylinders are dispensed with and in their stead are employed bellows arranged in a like manner around a common center and forming between them a vacuum chamber. In this instance, the body of the hollows is indicated by the numeral 40 and thebellows head or movable part by the numeral 41, the pitmen indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings by the numeral 42, being connected to the head 41 in the same manner as is the pitman 16 connected to the piston 15.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be seen thatthere is provided a vacuum cleaner in which the suction means is'directly traction driven, the employment of motors or hand operated pum s or bellows bei' g in this manner obviate It will also be seen that there is provided a vacuum cleaner in which the suction chambers constitute the frame of the machine, the traction means being in the nature of ring supported by and rotatable about the said suction chambers. It will furthermore be observed from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawin s that the arts are so relatively arrange and geared that the pistons, in the instance of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and the bellows head 41 in the instance of the form shown in Fig. 4, will be operated successively to exhaust air from the respective vacuum chambers so that a continual suction force is exerted through the tube 35 and as the suction nozzle 38 passes over the surface to be "cleaned particles of dust and dirt will be sucked up through the pipe 35 and into the sack or bag 30 from WhlCh it may be readil removed aftera" quantity has been collecte Furthermore, the machine will 0 erate as successfully if run backward as i run forward so that the person usin the same can give a backward and forwar movement to the machine'ast is done with an'ordinary carpet sweeper. I

What is claimed is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a plurality of suction chambers arranged about a common center, a vacuum chamber common to all of said suction chambers, a receiving chamber in communication with said vacuum chamher, and a traction rim supported by the suction chambers and having operative connection with suction creating means therein.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a plurality of suction chambers arrangedabout a common center, a traction rim supported for rotation about the said chambers and by the same, suction creatingmeans operating in the chambers and having operative connection with and driven by the traction rim, a vacuum chamber common to all of the suction chambers, and a receiving chamber in communication with said vacuum chamher.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a plurality of suction chambers arranged about a' common center, suction creating means workin in said chambers, a traction rim supported by the chambers for rotation, a crank disk carried by each chamber and driven by the traction rim, operative connection between the crank disk and the suction creating means of each chamber, and a receiving chamber in communication with all of said suction chambers.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a plurality of suction chambers arranged about a common center, a vacuum chamber common to all of said suction chambers 'and located therebetween, suction creating means within each. suction chamber, a traction rim su ported for rotation upon the suction chamb rs and having operative connection with the suction creating means of all of the chambers, the said suction chambers constituting the frame of the cleaner, a receiving chamber,

and a pipe opening into the vacuum chamber and supporting the receiving chamber and in communication therewith.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a plurality of suction chambers arranged about a-common center, a vacuum chamber common to all of said suction chambers and located therebetween, suction creating means within the suction chambers, a traction rim supported for rotation upon the suction chambers and formed with a flange having gear teeth, a crank disk mounted upon each suction chamber and having a flange riding against one side of the toothed flan e of the traction rim, each crank disk em odying a gear section meshed with the said flange of the traction rim, operative connection between each crank disk and the relative suction creating means, the said traction rim being formed w1th a circumscribmg gulde oove,-

an arm upon each suction chamber, a roller 1 jounialed upon each arm and tfaveling in as my own, I have hereto affixed my sigthe guide groove of the traction rim, a renature in the presence of two Witnesses. ceiving chamber and a pipe. opening into a the vacuum charhber and supporting the re .LUTHER N 5 ceiving chamber and in, communication Witnesses:

v therewith. Joe. B. STEWART,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing A. W. BOYD. 

